Movie Review

Sorry to Bother You goes deep down satirical rabbit hole

There are some films that are so out there that they truly defy description. Boots Riley, a musician making his film writing and directing debut, goes to some deep and disturbing places in Sorry to Bother You, a film sure to be divisive among cinephiles.

The story starts out in a straightforward manner, with Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) trying to get a job to support his artist girlfriend, Detroit (Tessa Thompson), and pay back his uncle, Sergio (Terry Crews). Things start to get hinky when his friend Salvador (Jermaine Fowler) helps him latch on with RegalView, a telemarketing company.

Encouraged to use his “white voice” to make more sales, Cassius soon becomes a rock star in the company, making his way toward becoming an elite seller, or “power caller.” That promotion inadvertently puts him in the orbit of WorryFree, a company that claims to offer its workers a life free from everyday stress, but also one that is compared to modern-day slavery due to its lifetime contracts.

And then things really get weird. Riley takes satirical aim at a variety of social issues, including the perception of African-Americans in general, poverty, labor unions, and more. Virtually no white character comes off well, with portrayals ranging from buffoonish to downright evil.

Even though he’s the main character, Cassius isn’t exempt from criticism. His rapid ascension in the company puts him at odds with Detroit and his co-workers, who think he’s selling out. Cassius agrees to a certain degree, especially because he’s now associated with WorryFree, but the things he can now afford make the job too tempting.

There are so many WTF moments in the film that it’s hard to keep track. There are the many bold fashion and artistic statements by Detroit; the blasé acceptance of WorryFree by society; the existence of a game show called I Got the @!#$ Kicked Out of Me; and and the “white voices” of various characters, voiced by David Cross, Patton Oswalt, and Lily James. All of that pales in comparison, however, to a final act reveal that may have you questioning your own sanity.

This is not a film for anyone who wants to sit back and just be entertained, as Riley is clearly unafraid to challenge moviegoers with some supremely strange material. You may find yourself laughing at some bizarre moments, and then questioning whether you should be laughing at all. Riley has a knack for making you feel comfortable before dropping the hammer and knocking you for a loop.

Stanfield has been called a star in the making ever since his debut in Short Term 12. With Get Out, this film, and his supporting turn on the TV series Atlanta, he continues to prove that he’s an utterly unique actor. This is not a mainstream movie, so he may continue to languish in the shadows, but he certainly deserves to be recognized as much as anybody else out there.

Sorry to Bother You is an ironic title, as many filmgoers are sure to be bothered greatly by the themes and imagery it contains. It may not be your cup of tea, but it’s as audacious as any film in recent memory, and one that any film lover should make an effort to see.

Tessa Thompson and Lakeith Stanfield in Sorry to Bother You.

Tessa Thompson and Lakeith Stanfield in Sorry to Bother You

Photo courtesy of Annapurna Pictures

Tessa Thompson and Lakeith Stanfield in Sorry to Bother You.

on the move

New Blue Bell truck doles out free ice cream across Dallas this summer

Blue Bell Ice Cream Lone Star Scoop Tour

Blue Bell Ice Cream/Facebook

Blue Bell's Lone Star Scoop Tour is mooving into Dallas throughout the summer.

Everyone deserves a cold treat in the sweltering summer heat, and an iconic Texas creamery is going on tour to deliver free ice cream across Dallas-Fort Worth and North Texas for the rest of the summer.

Texas' beloved Blue Bell is celebrating 119 years with its new Lone Star Scoop Tour stopping in local Texas communities all year long. A specially decorated Blue Bell ice cream truck and trailer will cruise across the state to give out free hand-dipped ice cream and frozen snacks, host giveaways, and offer special merchandise for sale.

Since the tour's debut in its hometown of Brenham in March 2026, Blue Bell has already made stops across Central Texas and Houston.

Now, the Lone Star Scoop Tour will kick off its North Texas leg at the Benbrook Walmart (8840 Benbrook Blvd.) on Friday, July 10. It will continue to more than 60 different locations across the Metroplex over the next seven weeks, with a final stop at Market Street in Wichita Falls (4590 Kell W. Blvd.) on Friday, August 28.

This leg of the tour also coincides with the launch of Blue Bell's newest ice cream flavor — Chocolate Lava Cake — released in commemoration of National Ice Cream Month in July. The limited-edition flavor combines the creamery's classic vanilla ice cream with decadent pieces of chocolate cake, chocolate sundae sauce, and a picturesque swirl of dark chocolate fudge. The flavor will be available in half gallon and pint sizes for a limited time, Blue Bell says.

New cities and dates will be added to the Texas-wide ice cream tour every month. Dates and times may change due to weather or unforeseen circumstances, so check the website for updates.

Here's where you can find the Blue Bell ice cream truck across the Metroplex this summer:

Friday, July 10
Benbrook — Walmart, 8840 Benbrook Blvd., Benbrook, TX 76126; 10am – 12pm

Monday, July 13
Forney — Kroger, 500 Marketplace Blvd., Forney, TX 75126; 10am – 12pm

Tuesday, July 14
Gun Barrel City — Walmart, 1200 W. Main St., Gun Barrel City, TX 75156; 10am – 12pm
Mabank — Brookshire’s, 1200 S. 3rd St., Mabank, TX 75147; 1 – 3pm

Wednesday, July 15
Crandall — Brookshire Brother’s, 102 W. Gleason St., Crandall, TX 75114; 10am – 12pm
Dallas — Migalito’s, 1050 S Beltline Rd, Dallas, TX 75253; 1 – 3pm

Thursday, July 16
Dallas — El Rio Grande Latin Market, 3035 N. Buckner Blvd., Dallas, TX 75228; 9 – 11am

Friday, July 17
Royse City — Walmart, 494 I-30, Royse City, TX 75189; 10am – 12pm
Fate — Fresh by Brookshire’s, 5100 I-30, Fate, TX 75189; 1 – 3pm

Monday, July 20
Midlothian — Kroger, 2200 FM 663, Midlothian, TX 76065; 10am – 12pm
Midlothian — Brookshire’s, 1400 E. Main St., Midlothian, TX 76065; 1 – 3pm

Tuesday, July 21
Midlothian — Tom Thumb, 4221 FM 1387, Midlothian, TX 76065; 10am – 12pm
Waxahachie — Tom Thumb, 1940 N Hwy 77, Waxahachie, TX 75165; 1 – 3pm

Wednesday, July 22
Cedar Hill — Kroger, 235 FM 1382, Cedar Hill, TX 75104; 10am – 12pm
Cedar Hill — Albertsons, 427 E. FM 1382, Cedar Hill, TX 75104; 1 – 3pm

Thursday, July 23
Arlington — Kroger, 5701 W. Pleasant Ridge Rd., Arlington, TX 76016; 10am – 12pm
Arlington — Albertsons, 301 Southwest Plaza, Arlington, TX 76016; 1 – 3pm

Friday, July 24
Arlington — Tom Thumb, 1701 W. Randol Mill Rd., Arlington, TX 76012; 10am – 12pm
Arlington — Kroger, 2210 S. Fielder Rd., Arlington, TX 76013; 1 – 3pm

Saturday, July 25
Arlington — National Medal of Honor Museum; 1861 AT&T Way, Arlington, TX 76011 11am – 2pm

Monday, July 27
Lewisville — Kroger, 4620 SH 121, Lewisville, TX 75056; 10am – 12pm
The Colony — Scheels, 4450 Destination Dr., The Colony, TX 75056; 1 – 3pm

Tuesday, July 28
Denton — Kroger, 1592 S Loop 288, Denton, TX 76205; 10am – 12pm
Denton — Albertsons, 2321 W. University Dr., Denton, TX 76201; 1 – 3pm

Wednesday, July 29
Irving — Savers Cost Plus, 504 N O’Connor Rd, Irving, TX 75061; 10am – 12pm
Irving — Fiesta, 1145 W. Airport Fwy., Irving, TX 75062; 1 – 3pm

Thursday, July 30
Gainesivlle — Scivally’s Grocery, 2808 US 82, Gainesville, TX 76240; 9:30 – 11:30am
Sanger — Tom Thumb, 1413 W. Chapman Dr., Sanger, TX 76266, 1 – 3pm

Friday, July 31
Carrolton — Tom Thumb, 4112 N. Josey Ln., Carrollton, TX 75007; 10am – 12pm
Aubrey — Kroger, 26585 US-380, Aubrey, TX 76227; 2 – 4pm

Saturday, August 1
Hickory Creek — Walmart, 1035 Hickory Creek Blvd, Hickory Creek, TX 76210; 10am – 12pm

Monday, August 3
Celina — Walmart, 400 Icy Trail, Celina, TX 75009; 9:30 – 11:30 am
Frisco — Market Street; 11999 Dallas Pkwy., Frisco, TX 75034, 1 – 3pm

Tuesday, August 4
Anna — Brookshire’s, 1325 W White St, Anna, TX 75409; 9:30 – 11:30am
Melissa — Kroger, 2721 Sam Rayburn Hwy, Melissa, TX 75454; 1 – 3pm

Wednesday, August 5
McKinney — Tom Thumb, 6800 Virginia Pkwy, McKinney, TX 75071; 9:30 – 11:30am
McKinney — Tom Thumb, 3001 S. Hardin Blvd., McKinney, TX 75070; 1 – 3pm

Thursday, August 6
Allen — Kroger, 1212 E, Bethany Dr,, Allen, TX 75002; 9:30 – 11:30am
Allen — Kroger, 1210 N. Greenville Ave., Allen, TX 75002; 1 – 3pm

Friday, August 7
McKinney — Kroger; 1801 N. Lake Forest Dr., McKinney, TX 75071; 9:30 – 11:30am
McKinney — Walmart, 1721 N. Custer Rd., McKinney, TX 75071; 1 – 3pm

Saturday, August 8
McKinney — Walmart; 2041 Redbud Blvd, McKinney, TX 75069; 11am – 2pm

Monday, August 10
Dallas — Foodland Markets, 1314 South Buckner, Dallas, TX 75217; 10am – 12pm
Dallas — Foodland Markets, 8411 Lake June Rd., Dallas, TX 75217; 1 – 3pm

Tuesday, August 11
Dallas — Tom Thumb,7700 W. NW Hwy., Dallas, TX 75225; 10am – 12pm
Dallas — Tom Thumb, 5809 E. Lovers Ln., Dallas, TX 75206; 1 – 3pm

Wednesday, August 12
Wylie — Kroger, 2608 W FM 544, Wylie, TX 75098; 10am – 12pm

Thursday, August 13
Dallas — Tom Thumb, 7117 Inwood Rd,, Dallas, TX 75209; 10am – 12pm
Dallas — Kroger, 5665 E. Mockingbird Ln., Dallas, TX 75206; 1 – 3pm

Friday, August 14
Argyle — Tom Thumb, 1046 Market Way, Argyle, TX 76226; 11am – 2pm

Monday, August 17
Glen Rose — Brookshire’s, 607 SW Big Bend Trail Glen Rose, TX 76043; 10am – 12pm
Granbury — Kroger, 3915 E Hwy 377, Granbury, TX 76049; 2 – 4pm

Tuesday, August 18
Fort Worth — Albertsons, 9300 Clifford St, Fort Worth, TX 7610; 10am – 12pm

Wednesday, August 19
Grapevine — Grapevine Farmer’s Market, 520 S. Main St ., #203, Grapevine, TX 76051; 11am – 2pm

Thursday, August 20
Fort Worth — Kroger, 113 E. Bonds Ranch Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76131; 10am – 12pm
Fort Worth — Kroger, 4750 W. Bailey Boswell Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76179; 1 – 3pm

Friday, August 21
Fort Worth — Kroger, 1653 Basswood Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76131; 10am – 12pm
Saginaw — Albertsons, 1201 N Saginaw Blvd, Saginaw, TX 76179; 1 – 3pm

Monday, August 24
Southlake — Kroger, 2110 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake, TX 76092; 10am – 12pm
Colleyville — Market Street, 5605 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville, TX 76034; 1 – 3pm

Tuesday, August 25
Decatur — Walmart, 800 US-287, Decatur, TX 76234; 10am – 12pm
Bridgeport — Brookshire’s, 1203 US Hwy 380, Bridgeport, TX 76426; 1 – 3pm

Wednesday, August 26
Graham — United Supermarkets, 1229 TX 16, Graham, TX 76450; 10am – 12pm
Olney — Stewart’s Food Store, 1204 W. Main St., Olney, TX 76374; 2 – 4pm

Thursday, August 27
Burkburnett — United Supermarkets, 311 S. Ave. D, Burkburnett, TX 76354; 1 – 3pm

Friday, August 28
Wichita Falls — Market Street, 4590 Kell W. Blvd., Wichita Falls, TX 76309; 11am – 2pm

blue bell ice cream tour dallas fort worth free ice cream

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